Is Slow Motion In Movies a Passing Fad?

In a new column written by Dann Gire of the Daily Herald, Slow Motion is questioned as a passing moment in film history where it is overused and loses power and effect over time. We agree that some movies rely so heavily in slow motion effects that it becomes a primary role in the movie. Movies such as Sherlock Holmes and 300 1&2 take it above the regular mundane level and truly makes art out of the technique.

We feel that with the democratization of slow motion devices in consumer pockets with phones and now professional high-speed cameras are dropping in value while improving performance. We expect the slow motion trend of screen time will not diminish but increase for years to come as gear is now flooding the market with high frame rates.

Mr. Gire estimates that in 15 to 20 years time the slow motion effect will be so over used and dated that it will lose effect and impact for films and TV. We feel that overuse is a bad thing and it should only be employed where it is absolutely necessary to achieve the intended storytelling.

For TV however, especially in wildlife documentaries, slow motion is a critical aspect of the shooting endeavor. We don’t expect the technique to fade out quite so soon. It should linger for many decades to come.

It is also of note that slow motion is a technique for inspecting time and there is no substitute for it to see what cannot be experienced in real life. High speed is a magical thing that is not a fad but a way to explore unseen worlds that just a century ago were hidden from our sight. The advent of VR will also make inroads with the help of high speed as inspecting a virtual world with the aid of slow motion will become a must have feature. 2D movies will have to evolve if they want to compete with the upcoming VR revolution.

We expect slow motion to continue improvements in resolution and frame rate to better describe moments in time that will further our understanding of science, nature and provide compelling entertainment for the foreseeable future. -HSC